Hello, PlayStation fans! Details about the Hitman beta are here! We were very happy to share the Hitman Beta trailer for the first time at PlayStation Experience 2015!
The all-important start date for the beta is February 12th 2016. That’s when anyone who has pre-ordered the game on PS4 will get guaranteed access.
As you saw in the trailer, the Hitman beta is set twenty years in the past at a top secret ICA recruitment and training facility. This makes it an extremely unique mission because it revolves around how Agent 47 was recruited into the ICA and shows the first time that 47 meets his long-time handler, Diana Burnwood. This will be a moment of huge interest to fans of the series and the perfect starting point for newcomers to the game.
We’ve also got some extra news, specifically for our PS4 players. Hitman will feature six PS4 exclusive contracts that we’ve called “The Sarajevo Six.” These are self-contained contracts that see Agent 47 travel the world in pursuit of six former members of a paramilitary unit called CICADA. Each target was a private soldier guilty of committing brutal war crimes. Many years later, fate is finally catching up with them.
These six contracts will see Agent 47 visit each of the locations in Hitman — from France to Italy, Morocco to Thailand, and the United States to Japan. The first three contracts will be available when the game launches on March 11th 2016 with the rest becoming available as new locations are released during 2016.
The beta will truly be the first step into the world of assassination — and we can’t wait to welcome you all!
The Hitman community voted for what they wanted in the Collector’s Edition of the game and here it is in all its glory!
The CE is available to pre-order now in North America via the Square Enix Store, priced at $139.99.
The Collector's Edition will be available on March 11th 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Based on all of your votes, here’s everything that’s packed into the CE:
• Hitman Digital Game Download (Full Experience)
• 10” Agent 47 "Chessmaster" Statue
• Hardcover 60-page art book, curated by Art Director, Jonathan Rowe
• Agent 47 Iconic red tie and clip set
• Premium Collector's Edition packaging (aka the box)
The Hitman Collector's Edition will be available for pre-order from the European Square Enix Store very soon, priced at Eur 139.99 your regional equivalent.
Pre-ordering the Collector's Edition will guarantee your access to the Hitman Beta, starting on February 12th for PS4 and then a week later on PC.
Hitman now fully episodic, launches with prologue and one location
Hitman Now a Fully Episodic AAA Game
Io-Interactive today released further details for Hitman which launches on March 11th for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC.
A change to the release structure, sees Hitman become a truly episodic AAA game experience, with a major live component. Where players will perform contract hits on powerful, high-profile targets in exotic locations around the world.
Starting with a Prologue Mission and a Paris location on March 11th, followed by the next location, set in Italy releasing in April and then Morocco releasing in May. From there Hitman will deliver regular monthly content updates, including three additional locations; Thailand, the US and Japan until the season concludes in Japan later in 2016. With weekly live events and additional planned content in between the monthly updates.
“We decided to take the full leap and publish Hitman as a truly episodic game experience,” said Hannes Seifert, Head of Studio at Io-Interactive. “Part of that decision is for that little bit of extra time to ensure every location we release is at the quality level fitting for a Hitman game. But the main driving reason is that this will allow us to create a living game that will expand and evolve over time and establish a foundation for the future – this is the first game in a storyline which will continue and expand with future Hitman games.”
A new Intro Pack now contains Prologue and Paris levels and will release at the new price of $15 (or local equivalent). Each subsequent location will be priced at $10 as an add-on item to the Intro Pack. Alternatively, players can buy the Full Experience up front for $60. This includes all of this year’s content as it’s released, and guarantees them not to miss any live or bonus content.
The disc version of Hitman will ship at the end of 2016.
PlayStation users will also gain access to The Sarajevo Six. 6 Bonus Contracts, one of which will be released with each location and sees Agent 47 travel the world in pursuit of six former members of a paramilitary unit called CICADA in this self-contained side-story exclusive for PlayStation 4 users.
For players wanting to get into the game early, the Hitman beta starts on February 12th on PlayStation 4 and February 19th on PC. Players can guarantee access to the beta by pre-ordering the Full Experience or the new Intro Pack.
The world of assassination is an expression of the ongoing game world we have built over the last 15 years at Io-Interactive, since the release of the very first Hitman game. It is the setting for past, present and future Hitman games.
Episodic Storytelling and Narrative
As you have read about in our previous blog post, Hitman will launch on March 11 2016 as a truly episodic game experience with a major live component. The episodic nature of Hitman allows us to craft both individual stories centred on Agent 47’s targets as well as longer season stories involving 47, Diana Burnwood, the ICA and an entirely new main cast.
The structure is inspired by contemporary TV series’ and will unfold over multiple seasons. To begin with, the overall story and the individual mission stories run in parallel but as the first season progresses, the tracks will merge and become one.
Before That, the Beta
The Hitman beta comes before all of that. February 12th on PS4 and February 19th on PC. The only way to guarantee your access to is pre-order the Full Experience, Intro Pack or Collector’s Edition – all of those will be available on day one; March 11th.
The PSN pages for the Full Experience and Intro Pack have been updated and pre-orders are now active. Additionally, we've updated the Steam Store Page with full descriptions. Full details on the Collector’s Edition are up on our dedicated CE page.
One other thing about pre-orders, they will all include access to the Blood Money Requiem Pack.
As well as being the first to play the Beta, PS4 players will also get exclusive access to The Sarejevo Six. These are six bonus contracts that tell a self-contained side-story revolving around former members of a paramilitary unit called CICADA. Agent 47 will travel the world in pursuit of his targets, with one contract available in each location from the game.
The first PS4 exclusive contract will be available when the game launches on March 11th. We’re calling it “The Director.” Your target is Scott Sarno, Director of European Operations for the CICADA private military corporation. He is a thirty-year veteran of clandestine operations and has been linked to a number of questionable operations in Europe and the Middle East as far back as the mid-nineties. He is highly trained and incredibly observant, you should expect him to be accompanied by several CICADA agents at all times.
Io-Interactive invites players to join Agent 47 on his very first assignment for the International Contract Agency in the upcoming Hitman Beta.
Labeled “The Prologue”, the Beta takes place twenty years before the Paris Showstopper mission. Set in a secret ICA training facility, the Prologue features a pivotal moment in Agent 47’s life - his introduction to the ICA and very first meeting with his future handler Diana Burnwood. The Prologue features two free-form training hits, which will introduce players to the features and mechanics of the upcoming Hitman game. The Prologue will also be available as part of the first episode of Hitman releasing March 11th, 2016.
The only way to guarantee your access to the Hitman Beta is to pre-order the game digitally on PlayStation 4 via PSN or PC via Steam. Alternatively, you can pre-order the Collector’s Edition. Access to the Hitman Beta is available for the pre-orders of the Full Experience, Intro Pack and Collector’s Edition.
The PS4 Beta is scheduled to start at 11:00 CET on February 12th 2016 and ends on February 15th at 11:00 CET. In the US, the PS4 Beta is scheduled to start at 08:00 PST on February 12th and ends on February 15th at 08:00 PST. Finally, the PC Beta is scheduled to start at 11:00 CET on February 19th 2016 and ends on February 22nd at 11:00 CET worldwide.
All pre-orders will also include the ‘classic’ Requiem pack which includes exclusive in-game digital items inspired by Hitman: Blood Money including the Requiem Legacy white suit, Blood Money shirt, tie and gloves, silenced ICA-19 chrome and white rubber duck explosive.
PlayStation users exclusively will also gain access to The Sarajevo Six. 6 Bonus Contracts, one of which will be released with each location and sees Agent 47 travel the world in pursuit of six former members of a paramilitary unit called CICADA in this self-contained side-story exclusive for PlayStation 4 users.
Hitman GO: Definitive Edition for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Steam Coming February 23
Square Enix Montréal today announced that Hitman GO: Definitive Edition will be releasing for Steam, the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and the PlayStation Vita system on February 23 in North America, and February 24 in European territories. The revisited and adapted version of the studio’s critically acclaimed turn-based puzzle strategy game will be available as a cross-buy digital download from the PlayStation Store and the Steam store for $7.99.
The definitive edition has been updated with improved graphics, new control schemes optimized for consoles and PC, integrated achievements including a platinum trophy, and cross-save functionality allowing users to seamlessly transfer save files between PlayStation systems to take Hitman GO: Definitive Edition on the go. The game includes all of its original content as well as all subsequent content updates (Opera, Airport and St. Petersburg boxes), and all in-app purchases have been removed.
“We are very excited to be bringing Hitman GO to even more players with this revisited edition. We hope the challenging turn-based gameplay will please even the most dedicated Hitman fans,” said Patrick Naud, Head of Studio for Square Enix Montreal. “Hitman GO is an innovative iteration of the successful stealth franchise and should see continued success with this release on consoles and PC.”
Hitman GO has been honored with Best Game Design and Best iOS Game in the 2014 Canadian Videogame Awards and was a nominee in two categories at the BAFTAs. The game was chosen as an Essential app for iOS devices by Apple and featured as one of the best Apps of 2014.
For more information on Hitman GO: Definitive Edition, please visit hitman.com.